Lecture 1

Question 1

Research purposes

Answer 1

Exploratory
Descriptive
Explanatory
Evaluative
Generative

Question 2

Exploratory

Answer 2

explore a phenomenal (at start of the research), what exists? Quantitative: counting ‘how many’, qualitative: which features?

Question 3

Descriptive

Answer 3

addressing ‘what’ questions, what is the form or nature of what exists? More focused than exploratory research.

Question 4

Explanatory

Answer 4

addressing ‘why’ questions
Quantitative: surveys and experiments, measuring, calculating correlations between variables, building causal models.
Qualitative research: studying underlying structures, mechanisms and processes to explain certain behaviours, actions, or events.

Question 5

Evalutative

Answer 5

appraising the effectiveness of what exists (policy implementations f.e.)

Question 6

Generative

Answer 6

to develop theories, strategies or actions

Question 7

How do pensioners experience getting retired?

Answer 7

Qualitative

Question 8

What are the most important factors that influence the career choices of Australian university students?

Answer 8

Both

Question 9

What is the relationship between study time and exam scores amongst university students?

Answer 9

Quantitative

Question 10

Ontological beliefs’ influence

Answer 10

Ontological beliefs influence both the kind of topics you want to research and the way you want to do research. Ontological beliefs influence epistemological, i.e. beliefs about how we can acquire knowledge.

Question 11

Two major positions in social science:

Answer 11

objectivism and constructionism.

Question 12

Constructionism/idealism

Answer 12

Pipe: It is a representation or a construction (on paper, or perhaps only our mind)
=> interpretivism: how people construct meaning from their experiences

Question 13

Objectivism/realism

Answer 13

Pipe: It’s a pipe.
=> empiricism

Question 14

Langauge

Answer 14

Language is important in instances of shaping our reality

example:

• if CPS was framed as the norm, 64% of the families chose it
• if no CPR was the norm, 48% chose CPR

Question 15

paradigm

Answer 15

Ontology + epistemology

Question 16

Realism

Answer 16

There is a reality that is independent. We can know it by using our senses

Positivism > Quantitative research

Question 17

Objectivism

Answer 17

There is a reality that is independent. We can know it, but not completely

Postpositivism > Quantitative research. Also sometimes qualitative research

Question 18

Constructionism

Answer 18

(Social) reality is constructed, we can reconstruct and deconstruct their
constructions

Question 19

Structural forms of
analysis:

Answer 19

• Narrative analysis
• Discourse analysis
• Semiotics

Question 20

Critical theory

Answer 20

Social) reality is
constructed,
Researchers are
part of it as well
and have to take
their responsibility

Question 21

(Participatory)
Action research

Answer 21

(Social) reality is
constructed,
Researchers are
part of it as well
and have to take
their responsibility

Question 22

This is the end of
science as we
know it. Turn to
poem writing.

Answer 22

(Social) reality is
constructed, and
we can never
really know it.

Question 23

examples

Answer 23

(view notes)

Question 24

postpositivism

Answer 24

(view notes)

Question 25

interpretivism

Answer 25

• Ontological assumption: constructionism.
• Epistemological assumption: we can interpret people’s words.

Question 26

Constructionism

Answer 26

• Ontological assumption: constructionism
• Epistemological assumption: researchers take part in the construction of reality